While Kyrie Irving probably isn’t crazy about Celtics fans, the same can’t be said about his feelings toward Boston players.
Irving shared on-court embraces with Celtics franchise cornerstones Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown after Boston completed a first-round sweep of Brooklyn on Monday. One day after the Nets’ season-ending loss at Barclays Center, the star point guard took to Twitter and showed more love to his former teammates.
“We didn’t get the result we wanted, but I wanted to congratulate my brothers in that Celtics locker room,” Irving tweeted Tuesday night. “They earned the series Win and I wish them well as they advance. Nothing but love competing against them.”
It’s onto the offseason for Irving, who has a player option for the 2022-23 NBA season. While the seven-time All-Star on Monday night made a verbal long-term commitment to the Nets, Celtics fans will be the first to tell you it’s tough to take Irving’s word as bond.
As for Boston, it will meet either the Milwaukee Bucks or the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The reigning NBA champions own a 3-1 lead in that first-round series and can finish off DeMar DeRozan and company Wednesday night at Fiserv Forum.
Should the Bucks punch their ticket to Round 2 with a Game 5 win over the Bulls, the Boston-Milwaukee series likely will kick off either Saturday or Sunday at TD Garden.
